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I once heard motivational speaker Les Brown tell a story about the power of role models. I won’t tell it as well as he did, I’m sure, but it goes something like this.

One day, a salesman friend came to Brown in financial trouble. Wringing his hands, he admitted that his sales were down, his bank account was nearly dry, and he didn’t know what to do.

With a caring look, Brown asked how many calls he made each day. The friend told him 25. Brown told him to double or triple the number, but the friend shook his head, declaring it too ambitious. Brown replied, “How can you say anything is too much when you have everything at stake?”

When they’re hungry for success, people can overcome anything. But like Brown’s friend, sometimes they need a little push to get there. That’s the power of a role model. Whether or not salespeople are struggling, a role model can be exactly what they need to exceed their own expectations.

The Role Model’s Creed

Great role models help team members feel valued and empowered in a way nobody and nothing else can. They help salespeople see that their contributions are appreciated, whether through public recognition or month-end bonuses.

Role models also instill confidence. Associates lose sales when they seem unsure of themselves or the product. Mark Hunter of The Sales Hunter recalls a time when he was ready to buy but the salesperson communicating with him lacked the self-assurance to close the deal. According to Hunter, great salespeople deliver an experience for the customer, guiding them confidently to close.

It’s the role model’s privilege to help salespeople grow, building confidence by the day. When team members believe in the product and their abilities, they’re comfortable guiding the sale to a gratifying conclusion.

Most importantly, role models stake out moral ground. Nothing fractures a team faster an “every man for himself” mentality in which salespeople poach prospects from colleagues. Role models encourage a work environment that’s rooted in principle — one where everyone has a chance to succeed.

Be the Role Model You’d Want to Have

As a manager, you’re a role model by default and are tasked with helping your team break through fears, learn from mistakes, and develop a moral compass. Here’s how to be the leader your team needs:

1. Communicateintentionally and openly.

Hold regular meetings with teams and individuals. Reinforce directives through emails and in-person forums, and insist that all team members keep open-door policies. Employees should always feel heard and encouraged.

Remember that listening is 50 percent of good communication. When Patricia Woertz — one of my role models — became chairman and president of Archer Daniels Midland, she spent her first 100 days on the job learning from her employees. She didn’t condescend them or enforce change, even when she might have wanted to. She listened first, building credibility so her own ideas, when it came time to share them, would be listened to with care.

2.Engender trust with ‘we’ challenges.

Demonstrate faith in your team members’ abilities by entrusting them with projects that are high-priority to the company. A sense of responsibility fosters ownership and helps you identify future leaders.

Set monthly challenges that don’t single people out — such as “This month, let's each sell 10 more policies than last month” — and reward those who go above and beyond with bonuses and promotions.

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi is a business leader who’s well-known for having high standards. But her team rises to the challenge because she works hard alongside them. She says, “I wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.”

3. Motivate with gamification and positive reinforcement.

Gamification is a great way to rouse a friendly, competitive spirit on your sales team. Create a leaderboard, and let everyone know what’s at stake — maybe an extra holiday or a chance to leave early on a Friday.

Don’t punish those who work hard but don’t win; they’re already looking longingly at the winners, and negativity can only discourage them from trying harder next time.

When the team has a red-letter month, take everyone out for a celebratory dinner or weekend retreat. These are great opportunities for co-workers to bond outside the office, and they’ll appreciate the extra effort.

4.Give individual attention and public recognition.

Pay attention to every employee’s strengths and limitations. Let those shape your mentorship approaches to each person, and celebrate them in ways you know will be meaningful to them.

When clients send thank-you messages, publicly recognize your employees so they know everyone is aware of the great work they’re doing. Highlight their achievements in a “kudos” section of your email newsletter, and check in with them regularly to make sure they feel supported.

Oprah Winfrey consistently invests in top talent and nurtures those she believes have the capacity to go far — just look at Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray. She develops personal relationships with the people she hires, and her support makes them want to excel. Do the same for your team members, and they’ll respond with high-caliber work.

Everyone will fail. Make the most of those moments by “failing forward” by framing setbacks as learning opportunities. At my company, we say, “Look in your own backyard before looking elsewhere,” meaning that we consider how we can do better before blaming others for failure.

Teach employees to seek prospects on their own, and provide learning resources like group trainings, monthly call reviews, and one-on-one meetings. Invite feedback from exceptional employees because, as the late sales coach Joseph Carlozo used to say, teams excel when the mission comes from the bottom up rather than from the top down.

So teach, nurture, and show compassion. Be the role model you’d like to have. Sales is tough, and nobody masters it without somebody to show the way.

Lisa Pearne is vice president of sales at California Casualty, an auto and home insurance provider for educators, law enforcement officers, nurses, and firefighters. Having spent 22 cumulative years with the legacy company, Lisa oversees 65 sales team members in its Colorado Springs, Colo., and Leawood, Kan., offices. She earned a B.A. in business management and administration from the University of California-Riverside in 2003.

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